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Why learn Indian cooking ?

Indian Food has been rated by most of the cultures as one of the best food available. Especially for vegetarians the travel to India is half worth to enjoy the India food only with its rich varieties. Indian restaurants have been flourishing in the capitals of the world and thus, Indian cuisine is no longer a mystery. In UK, Indian curry is the third most popular dish among the Britishers. Among the Japanese, the curry rice is relished quite a lot and it is the second most popular dish according to a recent survey. UK has more than 1000 Indian restaurants and USA, Canada and Japan have over 100 restaurants each. India attracts over 3 million foreign visitors every year for an average stay of one month. The Indian Cuisine is also gaining more popularity due to the rich taste, exotic flavor and healthy preparation. Indian cuisine has a very good taste which is designed not only to satisfy the taste buds but also the human psychology. The Indian cuisine is easy to prepare, tasty and can be prepared in less time. Spices are the main part of the Indian cooking and their quantity and proportion varies with the geographical boundaries. Spices are freshly grounded and added in many different combinations. Some of the spices which are commonly used are coriander, turmeric, cumin, chilies, fennel, and fenugreek. Other spices which are added for some fragrance are cardamom, clove, cinnamon and star aniseed.
 

There are various techniques of Indian cooking. Some of these techniques are Baghar or Tadka (Instant seasoning or Tempering), Balchao (Pickling), Bhunao (Curry), Dhuanaar (Smoke Seasoning), Dum (Steaming), Handi, Kadhai, Talna (Frying), Tandoori and Tawa. Tandoori cooking is a north Indian specialty and famous all over the world. Tandoori chicken, Naan, Tandoori Roti, Tandoori Kebabs are some of the famous Tandoori dishes.

The Indian cuisine can be divided into two main cuisines, North Indian and South Indian Cuisine. A typical North Indian meal consists of Chappatis, parantha or pooris (unleavened flat breads), dals, curries that are mild and made in ghee, vegetables seasoned with yogurt or pomegranate powder, green vegetables like spinach and green mustard cooked with paneer, north Indian pickles, fresh tomato, mint, cilantro chutneys and yogurt raitas. North Indian desserts and sweets are made of milk, paneer, lentil flour and wheat flour combined with dried nuts and garnished with a thin sheet of pure silver. Nimbu Pani (lemon drink), Lassi (iced buttermilk) are popular drinks of the North. Hot and sweet cardamom milk is very common before going to bed. North Indian Cuisine can be further divided into different categories according to states and tastes. These categories are Kashmiri, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Garhwal, Pahari, Uttar Pradesh, Awadh and Lucknow.

Individual Cookery Classes in India - Students and Cooking Instructor

Medicinal value of Indian Spices

It is quite interesting to note that most of the Indian spices have a medicinal value. The most commonly used spices and herbs in Indian cooking are asafoetida, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, coriander, garlic, ginger, turmeric and aniseed. Turmeric, Ginger and Cardamom are the most commonly used herbs as they have digestive properties. Turmeric gives the dish a pleasant yellow natural colour and helps to preserve the food. Coriander seeds are supposed to have a cooling effect on the body of a person. Saffron, the most expensive spice, creates a nice flavour and fragrance with just a little quantity. Mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, poppy and caraway seeds are some other spices used in Indian dishes. In India, Masala is commonly used which is a blend of various spices and it is either in a dry or a liquid paste. Garam Masala is a blend of fragrant spices which include cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, mace, coriander seeds, nutmeg, and black pepper. It can stored and kept for future use. Nowadays, Garam Masalas are conveniently available in packets in any grocery.

Indian dishes known as curries

Indian cuisine has a lot of variety to offer. Indian food can be broadly divided into four different regions corresponding to Delhi for the North, Bombay for the West, Madras for the South and Calcutta for the East. Many varieties of curry-dishes are made in different parts of India, each of which has its own distinct flavour. For the Indians, curry encompasses a whole class of dishes. There are numerous curries which are prepared with meat, fish, chicken, vegetables and on occasions, fruits. The only common factor in all the curries is that they all contain freshly ground spices, including turmeric, and have a ‘gravy’. The Cooking medium is is pure ghee (clarified butter). Other vegetable fats are now more commonly used as the cooking medium.

Besides the preparation, its presentation of food is also important to Indians. Traditionally, Indian food is served either on a well washed large banana leaf or in a thali which is a large plate made of brass, steel or silver. Porcelain plates are also used commonly by Indian people. On the thali, several katoris (little bowls) are placed to hold small helpings of each dish. A typical meal may consist of a meat or fish dish, two vegetable dishes, dal, yoghurt and a sweet dish of kheer or halwa, pickles, chutneys, papads, etc.

Indian  Breads (Roti - Nan - Parantha - Puri)

India offers a vast variety of breads. Unlike in the West, these breads are the main food in the Indian meals. Chappatis and nans are cooked in an oven or tandoor. Thin and small chappatis are made on an iron griddle placed on gas or fire. The most common bread is the chappati. Basically, the chappati is just flour and water dough rolled very thin and cooked like a pancake on slow heat. These are hot and fresh. Some breads like puris are fried in deep fat and paranthas are pan fried with a little fat, preferably ghee. These are quite soft and delicious. Indians also make paranthas stuffed with potatoes or other vegetables which are complete meals and are eaten along with plain yoghurt and pickle. Puris are made from the same basic dough rolled out thin and round with a wooden roller and deep-friend in clarified butter or vegetable fat.

   North Indian Food

Kashmiri Cuisine

The most famous form of the Kashmiri cuisine is Wazwan. Wazwan is the traditional 24-course banquet with many ways of cooking and varieties of meat - some in curry, some dry, and of various sizes. These are carefully cooked by the master chef, Vasta Waza, and his retinue of wazas. The meal is served on a large metal plate called the trami. The rice is served in a mound in the center. There is an earthen pot which is filled with freshly made yogurt and chutney. The meal began with a ritual washing of hands at a basin called the tash-t-nari, which is taken around by attendants. Seven dishes are a must for these occasions which are Rista, Rogan Josh, Tabak Maaz, Daniwal Korma, Aab Gosht, Marchwangan Korma and Gushtaba.

Punjabi Cuisine

The most famous dish of Punjab is the Sarson ka saag, which originated from Punjab. This dish of green mustard is simmered and slow cooked over coals along with rajma, kali dal or lentils. This dish is served with unleavened bread of cornmeal or wheat and a dollop of butter or with steamed basmati rice.

Rajasthani Cuisine

The major ingredient of the Rajasthani or Marwari dishes is the Gram flour or Besan. The gram flour is used to make some of the delicacies like Khata, Gatte Ki Sabzi and Pakodi. Powdered lentils are used for Mangodi and Papad. Bajra and corn are used all over the state in the preparation of Rabdi, Khichdi and Rotis. Some of the famous sweets and desserts of Rajasthan are Laddoos, Malpuas, Jalebies, Rasgullas, Mishri Mawa, Mawa Kachori, Sohan Halwa and Mawa or milk cake.

Uttar Pradesh Cuisine

Most families in Uttar Pradesh eat vegetarian food. The most famous sweets which are found in the cities of Uttar Pradesh are jalebies, sweetmeats, variety of 'kachoris' and pethas. The Awadh style of cooking is famous all over the world for its tender meat dishes and excellent sweets. Lucknow is known all over the India for its biryanis and different meat preparations. Nihari and naan, a mutton dish served for breakfast is one of the dishes that should be tasted to be believed.

Food from Bengal

In Bengal, food is quite plain and rice is the staple diet. Most, Bengalis prefer fresh water fish and fortunately there is an abundance of it in many homes in rural Bengal which have their own fish ponds. Mustard seeds and mustard  oil are generally used as the cooking medium for the various fish dishes. Bekdi, a special fish of Bengal, specially lends itself to Western style of cooking. If Bengali’s first love is fish, then the second is sweets. Special and typical sweet that come from Bengal are Misti Doi which is the sweetened yoghurt, Sandesh and Rasgullas, made in different ways from cottage cheese.  Bengali cuisine is unique in India where plain yoghurt is missing in its menu. Traditionally, no sweets are made at home and are always bought from the confectioner.

 South Indian Food

Food Culture in West India

The food  available in Mumbai varies from the food in the rest of the country. This is perhaps due to the presence of small but influential communities of Parsis, Sindhis, Goans and Khoja Muslims. A few years ago, Goa was occupied by the Portuguese and hence the Portuguese influence is present in its cuisine. One of Goa’s best known dishes is Vindaloo, chicken pork or fish cooked with spices and vinegar. Unlike other Indians, Goans eat a lot of pork. The fresh sausages and seafood have a special taste. The Boras and the Khojas also have their own style of cooking. The Sindhis, prepare a different cuisine which is more often meat-based. The majority of Maharashtrians and Gujaratis, the original natives of this region, are vegetarians. They have mastered the art of vegetarian cooking.

 Sweet Dishes (Pakwan)

India is a country of sweets and each region of India has its own specialties. Most Indian sweets are made by boiling down milk to remove the moisture. It is called khoa. When butter, sugar and many other flavours are added, then these take the form of barfi, malai, kheer, rasgulla, gulabjamun and sandesh. The various regional recipes have different forms of rice puddings, milk puddings, vegetable and fruits dipped in sweet syrup etc. Combinations of all these offer hundreds of varieties of sweet dishes. These desserts can be decorated with raisins, almonds, and pistachio etc.

 Paan (Betel nut)

Paan is generally eaten by people after having their food. Paan is a betel leaf wrapped around a variety of ingredients. Every paan-seller has his special recipe to make. There are as numerous styles of  preparing paan in India. The paan made of betel leaf is the most popular and has some digestive properties.